Fox Rain
by lord Martiya
Summary: AU-Due a chance encounter shortly after her akumatization, it's Lila who receives the Fox Miraculous. Now Paris has a new superhero... One whose life has just become a lot more complicated.
1. A Kwami Not for Kids

Hi, lord Martiya here. Some of you may find this familiar, and in fact this is based on on Day 3 of my take on the 2018 Lilanette Week, that a reader suggested to develop in a full story. Just a warning: I'm using my own personal headcanons to fill the many holes in Lila's background. Hope it won't be too bad.

by lord Martiya

 _ **Chapter 01: A Kwami Not for Kids**_

Lila was in a horrible mood. Not only, as it always happened whenever she changed countries and school, her many acquaintanceships from her parents' job parties had been quickly exposed-and not even by the aspiring journalist or the mayor's daughter-and blown out of proportions as full-fledged friendships, she had been swept in by the local troubles and, in a moment of _utter stupidity_ from sheer irritation at the former and shock from the latter, she had declared to Cesaire she was friends with Ladybug, the local superheroine.

Pass a few hours, and while she was talking with the one guy in the school she knew wouldn't care of her "friendships", the short-tempered superheroine came out of the sky and angrily called her out, leading to her getting her head violated by the local supervillain. And then Ladybug had the gall of apologizing in front of Chat Noir, and not Adrien Agreste. As she walked back to the Italian embassy, where she'd stay as long as they remained in Paris (a perk of her mother being a diplomat and insisting to bring her around), her cell phone warned her the Ladyblog had an update-with an announcement from Ladybug in person. She knew exactly what it was, and opened it to see how she was publicly exposing her lie.

" _It was my fault."_ Ladybug claimed in the interview. _"It was already a bad day, and when I saw Lila had admitted we were friends and made herself a target I kinda, well, exploded… And you all saw the rest."_

As she continued watching Ladybug _not_ exposing her lie, Lila tried to make sense of what she was seeing.

"Of course, the Ladyblog's reputation would be ruined…" she realized. Quite good for someone who hated liars…

* * *

As she continued walking back she passed near a side alley and noticed she saw four thugs about her age surrounding an old man of apparent Chinese descent with a horrible flower print shirt. She was pretty sure it was no good reason to assault anyone, even in Paris, so…

"Ladybug, I know it was a bad day, but go easy on them!" she called out. And of course, the thugs scattered and run in fear. Pity, they didn't look too strong. "Are you well, sir?"

"Yes. Yes, I am." the elder replied, before a flash of recognition appeared in his eyes. Great, she was already being recognized as Volpina. "Forgive me, but you remind me of an old friend." Or not.

"Maybe." Lila admitted. "Then again, back in Rome the "pel di volpe" hairstyle is like pigtails are here since Ladybug appeared."

She needed to get out, _now_. Or as soon as she had brought the old busybody home to make sure the experience didn't give him some heart issues. It was already a bad day without people finding out that other thing.

* * *

As she had finally arrived to the embassy, thankfully with the elder not prying any more, Lila wanted nothing but to get in her room, and maybe talk with her few actual friends on the phone. Except her mother had been waiting, supposedly to try and help her getting over the experience.

"Have you considered Ladybug covered for you because she actually feels bad for this mess?" her mother asked after being told the story. "And that maybe she has no idea what she did in the end?"

"She knew exactly what she was doing." Lila replied, coldly. She just wanted to stay alone, maybe binge on Nutella and sunflower seeds. She knew what Ladybug had done, and somehow she'd make her pay.

"After you calm down, think about that. Please."

With that, Lila's mother finally left, and Lila threw herself on her bed. And felt something fall down from her pocket before it clattered on the floor.

Curious, Lila decided to watch, and found a small exagonal box with a strange pattern on it. Trying to understand what it was, she opened it, and found a necklace not unlike the one she had bought just that day, only it wasn't a Gabriel brand jewel but something finely hand crafted. And before she could even start to try and wonder who had given her that, there was an orange light and a small foxlike being was floating before her.

"Lila, hi! I'm Trixx, the kwami of the Fox Miraculous!"

Surprised, the Italian girl stared at the newcomer before reaching the obvious conclusion.

"I thought I had outgrown imaginary friends." she stated.

Trixx decided the best way to prove he was real was to smack her on the head.


	2. The Collector

Hi guys, I'm back. Today we have Lila's debut as a superhero-dealing with her own mess in her own peculiar way. Plus, some worldbuilding and a few hints about my headcanon for our fox.  
by lord Martiya

 _ **Chapter 02: The Collector**_

"Let's see if I've understood what's happening." Lila said. "You aren't a figment of my imagination but the Quantic God of Illusions, for lack of a better term, and what makes the Fox Miraculous more than a jewel _somehow_ older than civilization, your powers are fed by edible seeds(1) in general but you have a very convenient preference for my favorite snack, and you're here because the Guardian of the Miraculous thinks I can make a good hero… And he took the decision after I went Volpina, WHY?"

"Because he knows that even under Papillon's influence you were able to sacrifice a near-certain victory to avoid collateral damage(2), among other things."

It made sense: taking Adrien hostage would have meant the certain capture of those earrings, and yet she didn't even look out for him. Her grudge had been with Ladybug, and aside a few illusions to lead away interlopers she had gone after her only. Sure, it had allowed Chat Noir to expose the illusion for what it was, somehow (she had known he was smarter than some Ladybug fanboys depicted him, but she had still grossly underestimated him).

"So he thinks that now Ladybug and I will be best friends?" she still asked.

"No. But I know you can be a hero, if given the chance." Trixx replied.

"I suppose… Well, then, let's exercise. Trixx, _s_ _trasfomame_ (3)!"

An instant later, Lila was replaced with a fox-themed superbeing. And then, she started playing.

* * *

"Why are you standing there, Antonia?" Lila's father asked as he looked at his wife standing before their daughter's door.

"Right now, she needs to calm down, and not binge on comfort food, then we'll help her with this mess." his wife replied.

"Like last time in Tokyo?"

"Do you think it could have gone any better?"

"No. Not really. But she's been playing that flute since she arrived, and it's midnight!"

Antonia Rossi sighed. It was still healthier than some things Lila had done to vent her anger.

"I suppose we should involve that friend of hers?" she proposed

"And make Lila sleep before she wakes up everyone."

* * *

Marinette hadn't slept too much. Between the surprise about her Miraculous, the nightmares about what Volpina could have done (her grandmother hadn't skipped much about the tales of the two last known holders of the Fox Miraculous), and the very likely chance Papillon was Gabriel Agreste, of all people, she had trouble both falling and staying asleep. If she had some luck, maybe she could try and see what she could do for Adrien if his father was indeed Paris' supervillain and establish a better relationship with Lila at least in her civilian identity.

" _In culo alla balena lì a Pechino, Tigre!"_

Speaking of which, she could see Lila standing before the school's gate, still wearing her necklace and ending a phone call with someone in Beijing(4) who at the very least understood Italian and its colorful ways to wish someone good luck. And apparently she hadn't slept much either, judging by the bags under her eyes. Eyes that were staring right at her.

"Hi. You're Marinette Dupain-Cheng, right? I'm Lila Rossi, the new transfer student." she said. "Sorry for not coming sooner, but yesterday was an "interesting" day even before being attacked by that purple bowtie."

Marinette looked at the Italian girl, trying to register what she had just called Papillon-and she got exactly the pun right, thanks to her grandmother's attempts at getting her to speak Italian-before bursting into laughter.

"You were supposed to ask me why did I call your terrorist like that… I guess the other name for the bowtie in French is "butterfly tie"(5)?" Lila asked.

"Yes!" she shouted once she got out of the hysteric laughter. She had needed that. "Sorry… Sorry, it's just that nobody has ever called him that…"

"I suppose I should add Odysseus to my middle names, then."

Suddenly, Marinette realized just why Lila had been able to become popular so fast: she didn't know her well, but she could already tell she was much better with people than Chloe.

"Still, I think I'll need your help." Lila admitted. "I realized yesterday I know even less of Paris than I thought when-"

"DID YOU THINK YOU COULD FOOL ME?!" shouted Chloe as she stomped their way.

" _Parli der diavolo…_ " Lila whispered. "I think I know what you're talking about, but I may be wrong…"

"I'm talking of your supposed friendship with Jagged Stone. Didn't expect me to verify it, did you?"

And here it was, one of Lila's lies being exposed. And by Chloe, of all people. Still, Lila was unfazed.

"Didn't expect you to take me at face value." the Italian girl replied. "Ask everyone how I reacted after you stomped away, you'll find I was quite surprised by you taking my sarcasm at face value. Seriously, until recently we never were in the same country at the same time, how did you buy it?"

Marinette's hand met her face. Apparently, one of Lila's lies hadn't been intended to be a lie at all… And _she_ was responsible for making it believable. Well, she and Chloe. That at least meant she should give her the benefit of doubt for the other non-Ladybug related claims, she decided as they walked in, Lila still wondering why Chloe had walked away uttering her catchphrase.

As they walked, Marinette asked Lila a few things about her travels, carefully avoiding her claimed friendships with famous people. Something Lila seemed pleased, even if she was quite reticent about London and the United Kingdom-or "Perfidiously Nosy Albion and its excessively proud capital", as she had called them, and was startled by the presence of a British transfer student.

"Let's just say I had a few bad experiences there." Lila said. "Enough it's since six AM that Tigre and Silvie' have been pestering me to make sure I don't shut myself in again. But let's talk about something nicer. Any idea why Chloe reacted that way when I explained I had been sarcastic about Jagged Stone?"  
Marinette had a nervous laugh, and decided to explain: "Well, it's a funny story, that started with one of Chloe's stunts. When we-"

Marinette was interrupted by Chloe's shriek, and she and Lila ran to the class, Mari expecting she had caused _another_ Akuma… But it wasn't that, but something Marinette considered much worse. Gabriel Agreste was better _not_ being Papillon, or she'd make him pay for this one too.

* * *

During the lunch break, Lila walked around the school's courtyard wondered about the situation, and the mess she was partly responsible for. She remembered the book with information about the Miraculouses-pretty much all Italians would have recognized the Fox Miraculous holder everyone called Donna Volpe, the one that had become Italy's national hero in 1943 and was still so loved that her hairstyle was still imitated(6), and with the others the deduction was easy-that she had taken with the intention to give Adrien a scare when she fished it out of the thrash, and while she was pretty sure it had been Ladybug to retrieve it before her it was still her who had taken it. And now, Adrien, who she had heard had been kept trapped in his home by his overprotective parents for most of his life, had been pulled out of school over it. She needed to fix that. And she was coming up with a plan, in case Gabriel Agreste ended up becoming someone else' problem. She'd have to run it to Trixx, but she was confident enough. She went to a closet to talk with her kwami-but before she could, she was pulled inside by Ladybug.

"Have you heard of your boyfriend and are going to give me the full blame for it too?" Lila asked her.

"No." Ladybug replied with a sigh. "Well, I've heard, but I just hoped to find out why you're so furious."

"With you? You know _exactly_ what you've done. But that I suppose could be secondary, compared to the fact I may have found out who the evil bowtie is." Ladybug snorted at the joke. "Namely, Gabriel Agreste."

"I know, it was the book."

"You see, it's been a while since I, and my mother and a few others, have suspected a connection between him and _Papillon_."

"Good to know, but I know where the book is from."

"Specifically, since when Gabriel Agreste publicly proclaimed he'd not change the butterfly logo of the sports-dedicated offshoot of his brand(7) and proclaimed he'd not be intimidated by a butterfly-themed terrorist and the next four Akuma villains Le Signeour des Poches, Le Bulleur(8), Pocketless, and Mr. Pocket were people angry at him, a few mistrustful minds have wondered if he set up the whole thing to throw off suspicions, something reinforced by Pappy's designs often being so tacky you'd swear he's a designer doing bad on purpose to throw off suspicions."

"You're right, but I know where the book is from."

"And then, suddenly, Adrien Agreste has a book with a portrait of Donna Volpe and other Miraculous Holders alongside nonsense words written in Nyctographic(9) and ROT13(9). Didn't realize right away, what with having already a bad day before the idiot took an antique book to school, was planning to terrify him with the appearance it had been stolen before fishing it out of the thrash, but I dare say that's quite the big hint. Don't you think?"

"I've been telling you for a while, I recognized the book and know where it comes from."

"Oh. Monologuing again… Anyway, considering past patterns, I expect that if Gabriel is indeed Papillon he'll akumatize _himself_ to throw off suspicions before the end of the day."

Ladybug looked at her, seemingly put out by Lila's mistrusting and apparently paranoid mind, but then admitted it made far too much sense.

"Still, I don't like it." she admitted.

"Neither do I." Lila replied. "And I may have a plan to fix it, if Gabriel is innocent."

"And how do you t-"

"LILA ROSSI, PREPARE TO DIE!"

That shout in a somewhat familiar voice left Ladybug frozen mid-phrase, her twitching eye being the only thing that moved. Then, her irritation easily surpassing the one she had shown when she had shouted at Lila, she pushed the Italian girl away from the door, put herself in position to jump anyone who entered, and cried out: "Lila, don't talk, she's after you!"

As Lila's face started showing her outrage at the heroine revealing her position to her aggressor the door was busted away from its hinges, revealing an Akuma villain looking like a blonde girl in glasses and a red dress she was sure was out from some manga-and then Ladybug picked a picture of Adrien from her pocket and ripped it, revealing the Akuma that was promptly caught before dragging the now de-akumatized girl to two older students bearing a clear resemblance to Marinette and Adrien, summoning a stress ball with the Lucky Charm, and zipping away as the two students dragged the girl away, completely ignoring her screams that it was because she had tried to seduce "her Adrien" that the boy had been pulled from school.

" _Cazz'è uscito dall'ovo de Pasqua?"_ Lila whispered as she tried to register what had just happened.

"I understand you're trying to settle in, but don't you think getting Akumatized and attacked by Rose Bride in the first two days of school is rushing things?" the mayor's daughter quipped.

"Uh? You know what that thing was about?"

"I suppose Ladybug wouldn't like to talk about it… Fine, I'll explain. That was the Rose Bride. She's actually named Zoe Chevalot, but with how often she gets Akumatized only the teachers call her that anymore."

"Nobody _sane_ , I meant. Anyway, she's Adrikins' most annoying fangirl, and gets Akumatized out of jealousy so often nobody could keep count. _"_

"I did." Cesaire pointed out from distance.

"Nobody _sane_ , I meant. Anyway, to anyone else the attacks tend to blur together after a while, and Ladybug gets so furious she leaves as soon she's done and the Lucky Charm is always a stress ball. She's also convinced that Adrien is Chat Noir because it would be cool."

" _E quanno la capano alla palazzina?"_ Lila asked, slipping into her native dialect out of surprise.

"I suppose you're asking why they haven't committed her yet?"

"More or less."

"Easy: she's the only daughter of the prefect of police, and while the ministry of the interior turned the police over to daddy's control until Papillon is dealt with because he's better at the job(10) he still holds enough power that Gabriel Agreste couldn't even file a restraining order."

"Ah. Uh… What about the Akumatizations and settling in?"

"Sweetie, the only ones in our class who haven't been Akumatized at least once are Adrikins and Marinette. Speaking of which you're better watch everything you do with her today, she's been targeted by Rose Bride so often her attacks make her murderous for hours. Seriously, she should grow a thicker skin, to surpass the attacks Rose Bride made on me she'd need to combine them with Ladybug…"

Lila's palm met her face, hoping things wouldn't get any worse.

Not even five minutes later she managed to have a chat with Trixx, who revealed that a Miraculous Holder is immune to their own power-and thus Papillon couldn't Akumatize himself. So much for that plan. Well, she could still have fun with it if Gabriel _did_ end up Akumatized. Now, if only she could find out why Papillon Akumatized the prefect's daughter so often…

* * *

"Sir, I don't like to repeat myself, but Mlle Chevalot is too stubborn to get scared away from your son by repeated Akumatizations, and the prefect is surprisingly stupid when it comes to his daughter." Natalie said to her supervillain boss.

"Doesn't matter, Natalie, sooner or later the government will have her committed." Papillon replied. "But I supposed you aren't here for that."

"No. I just wanted to inform you that Adrien has already ran away."

Papillon smiled. Finally he could go on with his plan to throw off suspicions without endangering him-assuming he wasn't Chat Noir, of course. And thinking about plans he decided to attack the Italian embassy: he needed Volpina for his greatest plan if everything else failed, and if Lila Rossi wasn't festering in her room as he had expected she could calm down… And as he couldn't afford that, he would have to make her collect more anger.

Papillon gave a brief laugh at his pun before preparing the Akuma-and change himself into The Collector.

* * *

"THIS IS RIDICULOUS! UTTERLY RIDICULOUS!" The Collector shouted as he dodged another burst of autocannons.

Thanks to his work travels in Italy, Gabriel Agreste had experimented that, as a reaction to the Years of Lead and other events Italian law enforcement had become frighteningly efficient when it came to terrorist threats, and he had been expecting their embassy to have tight security, especially as his actions as The Papillon were technically terrorist attacks. But the moment he entered the gardens of Hôtel de Boisgelin he had been attacked with heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft autocannons. Those he could tank easily, but if they shredded the book he'd lose his transformation, and he couldn't expect them to stop firing in time. The anti-tank rocket-firing cannons, on the other hand, were a bit more dangerous, but easier to Collect.

He noticed a glow on the side and moved, just in time to avoid an attack that could have not been Collected and would have destroyed the book, had it hit.

"Who's still using flamethrowers(11)?!" a feminine voice shouted

"Exactly!" The Collector agreed, before recognizing the voice and turning to see the very surprised Ladybug and Chat Noir, with (of course) Alya Cesaire filming them-from outside, as one of the soldiers was keeping her out. "Finally! I am the Collector, an-OUFF!"

The Akumatized villain was hit in the gut and thrown back by an invisible projectile, that was revealed as a car engine when it became visible in a familiar orange glow. As he looked at the two heroes he saw someone else becoming visible-the _actual_ new user of the Fox Miraculous. He could see she had a passing resemblance to both his Volpina and the previous user, especially the suit-that he had to admit he had copied entirely. There were also many differences: rather than a reddish-brown Marilyn hairstyle she had a full orange "pel di volpe"; then the tail wasn't a belt but an actual fluffy tail-that for some reason had caught Ladybug's attention; finally, she was wearing a bomber, an unlatched modern military helmet decorated with fox ears and goggles that covered the mask (assuming she had one), and her gloves had some kind of padding on the back.

A moment later, as the defending soldiers-and the female _Carabiniere_ with tan skin and platinum blonde hair in long pigtails (of all hairstyles) directing them-ceased fire in surprise and apparent awe, Ladybug got her eyes away from the tail and asked the newcomer who she was.

"I am Vorpika!" she presented herself before pointing her flute at The Collector. "The only superhero this _gargante_ dressed Armanicomio needs!"

"Hey! It's The Papillon's fault, not mine!" The Collector protested, a bit defensive over the horrible outfit he had given himself.

"I don't care. What I care is to show Paris what the _real_ Holder of the Fox Miraculous can do!"

At that, The Collector was curious. And worried. He knew the Fox Miraculous had the power to create incredibly realistic illusions, and an experienced user could create dozens of easily dispelled ones (like the ones used by Volpina) without triggering her timer, but what the 1943 user had done in Rome hinted that flute had other abilities, that or could be used for various spells.

And as she started playing, he could see strange creatures emerging from the ground around him. A horrifying monster that was best described as Sulley from _Monsters, Inc._ after having his character design revised by Lovecraft, an absurdly tall tree-like humanoid with a white nothing in place of the face, a… A Klingon warrior with an exaggerated forehead crest, white feathers covering his body and a duck bill?!

At that, The Collector realized Vorpika was using pre-set illusions to make it look like she was summoning monsters and turned to her-

"Yoink!"

Only to have the half-Klingon half-duck one grab the book and disappear in an orange glow to reveal the _actual_ Vorpika inside, who promptly kicked him through a wall. As he felt the transformation dispel, Gabriel noted the presence of a woman with a certain resemblance to Lila and a rather large man that reminded him of someone, the former holding a gun on him and the latter cracking his knuckles. Then, as the three heroes and various soldiers-including the _Carabiniere_ -came in and a white butterfly flew away, he asked if Adrien was well.

"That would depend on your provisions for your arrest, _Cravattino di merda_." Vorpika addressed him.

Oh, crap.

* * *

Ladybug had been surprised, and positively impressed, by the new superhero from Italy-with a name like that, the origin was pretty obvious to her and pretty much everyone at the embassy(12). She was, on the other hand, a bit worried from her assumption that Gabriel was Papillon-apparently, her kwami hadn't told her yet that they were immune to their own powers.

"Now, why I would think that? I mean, Papillon's identity is protected by the magic of the Miraculous." Vorpika continued. "The first incident was when, shortly after Papillon first appeared, you declared you wouldn't rename the _Gabriel Butterfly_ sub-brand or even change the color of its symbol because you wouldn't be intimidated by a butterfly-themed terrorist, and the next four Akuma went after you. Could have been a result of the fact you and the terrorist share a horrible temper, or that you, as Papillon, decided to be clever and, to add another layer of protection to your identity by making it appear you were being targeted. I believe I'm not the only one here who came to suspect you for that." The last phrase was underscored by her pointing at the woman who had been holding Mr Agreste at gunpoint even before Vorpika and her fluffy tail-Ladybug slapped her temples to regain focus-started talking. As Ladybug noticed Gabriel was starting to sweat, Vorpika continued. "So, when I arrived in Paris, I decided to keep you under control, and while I've not mastered all my spells yet I can already use a lesser version one of the Pied Piper's tricks. Nothing much, and it's easily blocked by the magic of even an inactive Miraculous, but enough I could put a hypnotic command into your son's mind to have him look around for hints and report, and guess what? He discovers you have a coded book on the Miraculouses, book that is now in my hands."

At that Ladybug frowned, Vorpika didn't have the book, she had recovered it after Lila put it in th-That was the moment Ladybug realized that before her, clad in the magic costume of the Fox Miraculous Holder, stood Lila Rossi. Who was seeing her theory confirmed. After noting that Chat too seemed to have caught on that she decided to intervene before the unpredictable girl could decide to assault Gabriel, but Vorpika, who was enjoying Mr Agreste's discomfort, signaled to let her finish.

"And not even twenty four hours after I retrieve the book, you are Akumatized." Vorpika continued. "Clearly, you are Papillon who was spooked when his little handbook disappeared and thought Ladybug was onto him and decided to throw her off by Akumatizing himself… That would be what I'd think if I didn't know for sure he cannot do just that."

For a moment, everyone could just _hear_ the surprise caused by Vorpika's final declaration. Then Chat, the first one to recover, shouted what everyone was thinking:

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!"

"To see him squirm." Vorpika explained with a smile. "I mean, he raised his son under such isolation he became naive enough it was _believable_ he wouldn't realize that bringing an antique book to a school was a horrible idea." Ladybug caught herself nodding at that. "Speaking of which, why did you have it?"

"I… I found it in an excursion in Tibet with my wife." Mr Agreste explained, still shocked by Vorpika's stunt. "I used it for inspiration a few times… It's a dear memory and-"

"Say no more. I need it for a while, but I suppose I can give it back to you in a few days. In the meantime you should upgrade your security, lest it ends in the hands of that _Papillon der grillo coi fiori'n mano_."

Ladybug mentally completed the quote(13) thanks to some of the Italian movies her grandmother had shown her during the lessons of Italian, and found herself once bursting into laughter at Lila's insults for Papillon.

"Everyone, sorry for the mess. Would fix it, but I cannot." Vorpika said. "Ladybug, could you deal with this and meet me with your partner over Eiffel's apartment?"

* * *

"Could you explain the book part?" Chat asked right away as soon as they were all three over Gustave Eiffel's apartment at the Tower and Vorpika had admitted she had only just received the Miraculous-and spent the whole night perfecting the trick she had used.

"Adrien Agreste _was_ that naive and brought the book at school, and, to give him a scare, I had decided to fish it out of the thrash before his eyes." she said. "In hindsight it was an incredibly stupid idea, but in my defense the day hadn't started out well and that kind of things just drives me mad, so I wasn't thinking straight. Still, even with Ladybug taking it before I even got to that point I had to claim my responsibilities, possibly in a way that would cover for that adorable fool, and certainly before Ladybug came up with something that would get _her_ in trouble."

Ladybug had to admit to herself she had been planning to walk up to Mr Agreste as Marinette and claim full responsibility-and get in trouble with someone who could blacklist her from the fashion world.

"I _was_ planning to do something that would have got me in trouble…" Ladybug admitted. "Still, thanks. And welcome to the team."

As she said that she offered her hand to Vorpika, who slapped it away.

"Make no mistake, Ladybug, I'm not going to forgive you for what happened, right here." she said. "Trixx, my kwami, said I could have been mistaken, but it's now clear I was right. And that I cannot forgive, that and just how I admired you, and the fact you've been checking my butt for half the fight at the embassy."

Ladybug opened her mouth in shock and embarrassment horror. She had no idea what Vorpika meant about what happened last time on the Eiffel Tower, but was all too aware of what else she was referring to, and the truth was possibly even more embarrassing.

"I-I-I wasn't!" Ladybug said, blushing but not too willing to tell the truth."

"Pretty sure you've been filmed."

"But-I-I WAS LOOKING AT THE TAIL! I really wanted a pet fox as a child but my parents couldn't let me have it."

Vorpika and Chat looked at her, silent in the surprise.

"That's so cute…" Chat whispered.

"Iiii-I have to agree." Vorpika said. "At least you aren't a pervert… But as I was saying, I will help you, I will even follow your lead in combat, you aren't stupid enough to waste this power, but once we've dealt with Papillon, we're making gloves. _Alla prossima._ "

With that Vorpika left, leaving the two other heroes behind.

"My Lady, what did she mean?" Chat Noir asked.

"She wants to beat me up when we're done." Ladybug explained.

"No, with the insult. Unless you met more time than I know?"

"Not transformed, and I have no idea for the insult."

"Hope she comes around soon. And I could procure you a pet fox, if your parents have changed their mind."

"CHATON!"

* * *

"So, it worked?" Natalie asked her boss.

"Yes. But it was a close call." Gabriel admitted. Then, remembering his secretary was more versed than him in the various trivia of Italian culture, he asked her something that had been nagging at his mind: "At one point Vorpika called me, and I quote, " _Papillon der grillo coi fiori'n mano_ ", and everyone at the embassy started laughing, do you have any idea why?"

After processing what her boss had just told her and completing the quote, Natalie proceeded to explain. Hearing the shout, Adrien decided that maybe he wouldn't ask Lila about the "grillo" thing.

* * *

The following day Lila had found herself to what her best friend, that she had graced with dozens of Tiger-themed nicknames, had told her was the best bakery in Paris, and where she had pre-ordered a sunflower seed cake-if they had actually pulled that, the Tiger had actually understating their ability. The previous day had been a trip, and she needed her sweet.

As she was paying she saw an unexpected sight-Marinette running out from the back of the shop.

"Marinette? What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I live here, it's my parents' bakery." she replied, just as surprised to see Lila. "What about you?"

"I've been told this is the best bakery in Paris, and I've decided to see if it's true or the Tiger understated things as she sometimes does. Almost forgot, I have some interesting news: Adrien should be back at school today."

"Really?"

"Really." Lila confirmed, finding herself surprised at how she liked the happiness on Marinette's face. "Heard from Ladybug that the new hero, Vorpika, was accidentally responsible, and she has admitted it. Fancy coming with me at school? You still have to tell me why did Chloe believed me when I made that joke about Jagged Stone."

Lila wondered why Marinette's face fell in embarrassment. Then Marinette's father produced a copy of _Rock Giant_ , and both Marinette's sudden embarrassment and the whole situation with Chloe were explained. The Italian girl supposed she could like Paris, after all.

 _Notes_

(1)Trixx' recharge food is based on Inari, the Japanese fox god of fertility and rice plus many other things added in the later forms of their cult, and comes from rice's valuable part being the seed. As for why they prefer sunflower seed… That's for me to know and you to wonder about-and groan when you find out. :-D

(2)That's one of the things that make me believe Lila, at least at her debut, is nowhere near as evil as some paint her: even during akuma-influenced madness she _refused to cause collateral damage_ , even as it ultimately cost her the battle, and concentrated herself on Ladybug only.

(3)Headcanon warning: I see Lila as someone from Rome, and I have both an Italian-Romanesco dictionary and some basic knowledge to write her some phrases in that colorful dialect. Her particular transformation phrase is only the start.

(4)French still uses the first Western romanization "Pekin" for Beijing, and Italian still uses a name derived from it.

(5)As I said more than once, I call Hawk Moth by his original name specifically because "papillon" in Italy is the bowtie. Sadly for Lila's (and my) plan for a longer joke, the main French name for that tie is indeed _nœud papillon_ , literally "butterfly tie" (the same as in Italy)…

(6)How I explain Lila's resemblance with that Miraculous holder: it's on purpose out of admiration at the holder. So admired that the name Lila refers to her with means "Lady Fox" (or "Fox Woman", but in the '40s it would have been definitely the former). The _actual_ superhero name will be revealed at a later date.

(7)The secondary logo for _Gabriel_ is indeed a purple butterfly. Considering it appears on Adrien's sneakers and our favorite model has made sportswear pictures (such as the one where's in boxing gear), I reserved it for the sportswear.

(8)In the US version, the Bubbler.

(9)The actual codes used for the writings on the Miraculous Spellbook in the series-that in-universe are obviously a different code not based on Latin alphabet and Indo-European languages.

(10)My personal fix for just why Andre Bourgeois has authority on Paris' police when the French capital doesn't have a local police but only a special detachment of the national one depending from the Prefect of Police: the prefect has screwed up enough that his superiors don't trust him anymore but not enough to get removed, hence them passing the actual authority to the mayor.

(11)As of 2017, the Italian Army still had the Tirrena T-148/B flamethrower in active service. Demolition and anti-tank weapon, supposedly.

(12)Yes, Vorpika has a very specific meaning in Italy. What it means shall be explained in the story.

(13)I will not provide a complete quote nor a translation to protect this fic's rating: outside of Rome it's a very vulgar joke.


	3. Her Holyland

I'm back! Sorry for the delay, but I needed to find information on foreign etiquette-and writing it was absurdly hard. Anyway, I started writing this chapter after the first episode of season 3. I will take some hints from that, but I still remain of the opinion I had when I started writing this: that Lila, when she first appeared, wasn't _evil_. That, and in her months of absence she had been the target of a very experienced manipulator capable of using excessive means (seriously, financing a movie just to piss Lila off at the right moment?!)… And today we have the decisive moment. What, at least in my version, would have started pushing Lila toward the one villain that Papillon cannot control, but, due different circumstances, has a completely different outcome.

 _ **Chapter 03: Her Holyland**_

"Salima, was Vorpika hidden inside a half-Klingon, half-duck creature?!"

"I suppose we could call it that, y-"

The suite's phone ringed, prompting Salima to distract herself-just long enough for her charge to leave.

* * *

Natalie took the pre-paid SIM card out of the old burner dumbphone, broke it, and threw it in the public thrash bin. It had done its job to try and isolate Lila Rossi from her oldest friend, and no matter if it worked or not it wouldn't do to risk it being traced back to her. She had made the call from her car as she went to work for that reason, after all.

As she prepared to go back to Agreste's mansion she started hoping it would work. She was painfully aware of how they were acting, and would be rather infuriating if it failed.

* * *

"WHO IN THE FUCKING WORLD WAS SUCH A DERANGED IDIOT TO PUT THIS ON LILA'S DESK?!" Lila and Marinette heard shouting.

That the shouter was Chloe Bourgeois, that she was pointing at the sheet of paper in her hand, and she had been cursing were all hints it was something unforgivable and she was beyond furious. Enough Lila glanced around for an Akuma, before grabbing the sheet from a very surprised Bourgeois and seeing it was a printout of a gossip site praising "Vorpika, the _Real_ Wielder of the Fox Miraculous" and shitting on Volpina.

"I take I was being punked when they told me it's a Parisian tradition to give new students some toilet paper?" Lila replied as she crumpled it, stopping Bourgeois mid-step as she was about to bolt.

"You-you aren't getting Akumatized? I mean-"

"Just some idiot running their mouth and someone who should deal with I-know-what a better way." Lila declared. Then, noting the whole class was there, she continued: "Speaking of idiots, I apologize for considering you one, and I think I _did_ call you that, for taking at face value that claim about Jagged Stone. I had no idea it was believable."

"Huff! As long as you admit you were wrong…" the mayor's daughter replied. "But for the future, remember that in the class where everyone but two students and the homeroom teacher have been Akumatized at least once _everything_ is believable."

"And that makes sarcastic claims much more difficult to do." the Italian girl replied with irritation. She had spent two whole weeks to come up with something unbelievable that would be immediate to the French, only to end in the same class as the daughter of Jagged Stone's landlord and the girl who designed and created his Eiffel Tower glasses _in an afternoon_ and drew the cover art for Rock Giant… What was she supposed to claim if she didn't want to be believable? That Jagged Stone had a kitten? No, if what she had heard about his crocodile was true that could be believable too…

"Why don't you use calling cards that declare you're the Queen of Sheba?" Rose proposed, answering to the unvoiced question.

"For a very good reason: I hadn't thought about it. You're a lifesaver."

* * *

With that Lila went to her seat, near Kudzberg, wondering why did Marinette and some of the others seemed so surprised about Bourgeois' actions. Obviously she didn't believe she'd let someone get Akumatized on purpose, so why she was so surprised?

As the class was being let out for the lunch break, Marinette was still having trouble believing that Chloe had been trying to stop an Akumatization. Maybe she was being unjust with her, but with everything she had pulled, especially in the four years before Marinette received her Miraculous, it was just surreal to see her trying to be helpful.

"But seriously, what's with that stupid name? Vorpika, ha!" Chloe let out as she had been talking with Sabrina of the new hero, putting the world back in place.

"It's Italian slang for "Fox-themed antihero from Rome"." Marinette explained.

"And you expect me to believe it?"

"Would a confirmation from a Roman of Rome help?" Lila intervened. "The short version is that, back in the 1960s, the comic book _Diabolik_ and its villainous protagonist made such an impression that it spawned an entire subgenre of Italian crime comics, and between that and Disney, of all publishers, getting in the game, in Italy names that end with "-ik" are reserved for villains and antiheroes of both genders, and "-ika" for female antiheroes(1). And if you add it to an actual word you can also get the character's theme. For example, an evil guitarist would be named Chitarrik(2), a certain most evil comic book character was named Satanik(3) and Vorpika takes her name from the word for "fox" in Romanesco, the dialect of my beautiful Rome.

"An association quite obvious to an Italian… But not to a Frenchgirl, especially so far from the border. Let me guess, Italian relatives?"

"My grandmother, she used to visit often enough I picked up the language, well, I understand it, and a few other things, including body language. I used to be mistaken for an Italian on that alone…"

"Could have been worse, you could have been mistaken for an Englishgirl."

Marinette was starting to get worried about Lila's apparent hatred for England, but before she could even think to ask anything a tan boy their own age, dressed in rather covering clothes and with a pair of dark glasses and the most fake pair of mustache on his face, barged in and started addressing Lila in a language Marinette didn't understand, with Lila covertly passing her phone to Rose that for some reason, used it to call someone as she left the classroom.

As Lila was calming down the newcomer, Marinette went in a corner and covertly asked Tikki what was happening.

"He guessed that Lila is Vorpika, apparently she "signed" her first appearance." Tikki whispered. "Also, he thinks she got Akumatized on purpose to cover for it."

As Marinette tried to process the fact someone could think Lila would do something like that (and noticed that Adrien too was in a corner and looked as Lila as she had grown a second head), none other than prince Ali's chaperon came in and grabbed the boy with the fake mustache, who was looking at Lila in surprise.

"Had Rose call Salima, because, seriously, you have a crack shot as a chaperon for a reason." Lila told her friend-who Marinette realized was _the_ Prince Ali. "Seriously you can't just come here like that!"

"After school at the hotel?" Ali replied.

"After school at the hotel. Stay safe, Lustro."

"Don't get into your nickname, Shijjar."

As she looked at the prince being grabbed away by his chaperon, Marinette went to Lila, trying to speak through the shock.

"Yes, we are on nicknames term, comes with being each other's oldest non-imaginary friend." Lila said. "And no, we aren't dating even if _someone_ seems convinced we're secret lovers."

As Rose gave a shy smile at the remark, Marinette started wondering exactly how much had Lila actually lied, and why. It made no sense…

* * *

Trixx liked Lila for many reasons. Among others there were her cunning, her ability to use the illusions to their full and devastating effect, the "if I'm smart enough to pull it off" attitude (though that meant he'd have to work a lot to keep it in check. Especially at how she had accidentally used the "I'm half-Klingon half-duck"(4) in-joke between her and her friend and outed herself on the first sortie), the fact she actually knew how to play the _dizi_ (he was a musical kwami, he _needed_ that and instructing the Holder was always a pain), the wealth _and_ related unwillingness to spend too much (by the description of her wardrobe, he'd have cried in pain had he been entrusted to Chloe Bourgeois), and the immense quantity of hair (made possible by the wealth) that allowed the kwami to stay close to her head without being noticed. The latter was especially useful right in that moment, as Lila, after visiting her royal friend, had just been given a potentially devastating news.

"What did you say?" Lila whispered in shock.

"This morning a woman called us and revealed that not only you aren't friends with Ladybug, but also that you refused an offer of friendship." Salima, the chaperon, repeated. "I of course reported this and all the _very numerous_ details to His Majesty, who gave precise instructions."

"Shijjar, my friend, you must make amends with Ladybug." the prince said, looking pained. Trixx believed it was because he knew Lila well enough to anticipate her answer, or what she was thinking. "You are my sister in anything but blood, but our kingdom cannot afford to be seen linked to the enemies of Paris' protector."

Trixx knew exactly what Lila was thinking, who she was going to blame, and how she was going to react. He understood how angry she was, and that she'd blame the wrong person-unless he made her notice something:

"The chaperon said "woman", not "girl"." he whispered to his Chosen. And by her slight wincing he knew she had understood.

"It is not His Majesty's policy to support such foolishness." Salima said.

"But letting a terrorist use him and his heir to manipulate a girl is?" Lila replied coldly.

"What are you trying to come up with to get out of your trouble?"

"Who were the witnesses?" the prince instead asked, quickly realizing what his old friend meant.

"Only Ladybug, Adrien Agreste and myself were present for the initial encounter, though the terrorist Papillon obviously knows though the same magic he uses to find his victims. As for our later disagreement, it took place above Gustave Eiffel's apartment in the Tower, with only Ladybug, Chat Noir and myself present-and the terrorist once again knows thanks to his magic." Lila explained.

"And we actually don't know if he has accomplices."

"What?! Your Highness, you can't believe this girl!" Salima protested.

"Why, exactly? It certainly makes more sense than the alternative. Would you please inform my father about this?"

" _There is no need."_ an unfamiliar voice announced, coming from an equally unfamiliar man that had appeared in the computer's screen. Unfamiliar to Trixx, because the humans appeared to know who it belonged to, though both Lila and the prince appeared startled.

"Your majesty, I was not aware of your presence." Lila said to the man without bowing, heavily hinting what country this man was king of. The following words confirmed it: "And I believe your son wasn't either."

" _That was the point. I needed to know if he was ready to assume greater duties-though I cannot say I'm displeased to have missed this chance due something we should have suspected all along."_

"In the current circumstances? Easily forgiven."

" _Then I believe you should share the saltiest bread."_

"Of course, father." the prince replied with a smile.

"I'm grateful for your attention, though I believe your subjects are worthier of it than myself." Lila continued, in a display that would have likely confused many of the other kwami who lacked experience with the Arabic etiquette.

" _I'll follow your suggestion, then. Just… Please, find an honorable peace with Ladybug as soon as possible. Be well."_

As the king of Akdor left the conversation, Lila turned to Salima with an unpleasant smile.

"And so, we kept you from causing a mess." she stated. "Though I believe I should be grateful-now I know who I should ruin."

"Lila, calm down." the prince told her.

"I am calm. Calmer than I thought I'd be with this mess."

"That's what worries me-you were just like this before you started denying non-existing rumors at your London school."

"I agree, we should all calm down and discuss things around a good coffee." Salima added.

"I'm not taking advice from _you_. You almost cost me my place in the world, my trust in people and my friends, my… Uh uh… My Holyland, that's what you nearly cost me."

"What did you say?" the woman hissed.

"Nevermind, I've read the hotel's brochure and I see we need one of their services. Follow me, both of you… And please don't interfere."

The tone of the last phrase worried Trixx. The prince too, he looked focused and wondering what his old friend was thinking to do.

* * *

As she, her friend-currently doing something with his phone-and the add-on went to look for the one she needed, Lila was taking deep breaths to keep calm after being completely manipulated like that. Just a simple phone call from an accomplice and Papillon had her murderously furious at Ladybug, to the point she had almost been about to renounce to what until the previous day had called her oldest non-imaginary friendship just to have a shot at destroying her, and lose all remaining trust in her friends in the process. Sure, Lustro, the add-on and His Majesty had been fooled too, but considering what their realm was going on they had an excuse to not notice on the spot, while she had needed Trixx to realize what was happening.

Still, raging would not help. All she needed was to play along, wait for her chance, and at the right moment rip the Butterfly Miraculous from him and throw him to the authorities-no matter what his reasons were, the Princess Fragrance incident had left the French government and judiciary with no reason but hitting him with the full weight of their laws, and that was without counting Volpina and everything else(5). Maybe the French authorities would consider reopening Devil's Island just for sake of a papillon pun(6)-that was what she'd do if she could, at least.

For now, however, she'd be content with exposing him for what he was besides a terrorist, and crumble the romantic ideas some people had to have on him. Not personally or by Lustro's hand, she needed him not knowing she had found out. No, the Tiger would do it-she wouldn't deny her this favor, and as she was in Beijing and normally lived in Tokyo and showed her location on the Ladyblog's forum it was unlikely she'd be connected to her, even if the bowtie hebephile could track internet connections.

And now that she had found Bourgeois, she could get the password for the wi-fi and talk to her friend.

"Bourgeois, I need your help." she asked to the mayor's daughter, who had been using the phone.

"Uh… Just a moment." the blonde replied before doing something and turning to her. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, I would need the wi-fi password, even a temporary one. I need to urgently contact a friend who's currently in Beijing, a friend that doesn't have the, how is it said in French, well, she'd end up spending a lot if I called her without internet and I just don't have the time to go back to the Italian embassy or register at an internet cafe."

"Does that have anything to do with your current collective mood?"

"Yes."

"And it's a o-"

Chloe was interrupted by her phone's ringtone, Clara Nightingale's _It's Ladybug_ , but touched it and put it away.

"Sorry for the interruption, Lila. Now, this thing that's getting you furious and that you need need the wi-fi password for, it's a one-time only, right?"

"Of course. I know I'm not registered as a guest and shouldn't access the wi-fi, but…"

"Save it, here's the password." Chloe said as she pulled out a ticket with a password. "But remember, you owe me."

"Thanks." she replied, and web-called her friend.

" _What's up, Zorra?"_ her friend saluted her in French-one of the languages they shared-except for the chosen word for "female fox".

"Just a thing that happened today." she replied in Japanese. A language none of the presents knew, aside for Trixx, so they wouldn't be able to stop her. "It's a bit long to explain, and it's urgent, but… Could you start a discussion on the Ladyblog's forum and denounce Papillon as a pedophile?"

"… _Why aren't you doing it by yourself? Wait, are you planning to try and make yourself an accomplice to strike him down at the right moment?!"_

"Exactly."

" _Don't you think it's crazy?"_

"Precisely. And why it'll work."

" _Uh-uh. By the way, does your Arabian prince know of what happened to make you plan that? Because I was on the forum right now and someone from Paris, username "Fatimid", has just started that very discussion."_

" _Come, scusa_?"

" _A guy calling himself Fatimid has started this very discussion a few minutes ago. Sounds like Prince Ali to me."_

"Oh. Sorry for disturbing you. I suppose tomorrow you'll have to work with the movie…"

" _Second day of shooting… And he's even hotter in person!"_

"Just… Just don't make your parents grandparents, ok?"

" _Not for another three years-no child of mine will be called a bastard! Good luck in that madpeople cage!"_

"And you don't start a revolution. Good night!"

Lila took another deep breath to calm herself, then she turned to the prince and leveled a glare to him.

"I'm your oldest non-imaginary friend, remember? We may have met before the Pantherhunt, but I still know exactly how you think." Ali reminded her, completely unfazed. "And I'm not letting you get in that kind of mess."

"What if I _wanted_ to get in that kind of mess?"

"Then you were too angry to think straight." called an unexpected voice, prompting Lila to turn-and see Ladybug and Chat Noir standing near a very smug Chloe, who was showing that her cellphone had an ongoing call… With Ladybug.

"Listen, Ladybug, I just discovered that Papillon tried a horrible thing, and-" Lila started, but was interrupted.

"And you're going to let him anger you and give him power over you?"

Lila stopped, surprised at what she had just been said. She had to admit, at least to herself, she had screwed up. And she should be grateful to Ladybug-but why had she done it? She could have manipulated her so easily had she just let her stay angry…

"Wait, where's Vorpika?" Chloe asked, jolting Lila from her thoughts.

"She'd been in Tokyo until a few days ago and was too busy investigating a possible trail to Papillon to rest." Ladybug explained, surprising Lila again. The superheroine was quite good at lying for someone who hated lies so much…

* * *

Nathalie Sanscour was a user of the Ladyblog forum, and prone to use it during work hours. "Secretly", of course-officially she had to keep it secret from Gabriel or risk a reprimand or being fired, something that would come handy if Adrien or the Gorilla (she really needed to find out his real name) saw her while she looked if someone slipped something useful for Paris' supervillain. And her scouting of the forum was the reason for her current anger.

"Nathalie, calm down." Gabriel told her, ignoring Nooroo as he chuckled at the irony.

"Calm down?!" the woman replied. "Sir, they're calling you a pedophile! A PEDOPHILE!"

"And how did we act with Rossi?"

"Well, we tried to manipulate her, and-"

"She's fourteen. Or fifteen. Between the age gap and teenagers being Akumatizable far more often than adults, it was only to be expected they'd mistake me for a pedophile."

"But-"

"Don't worry, I can shoulder this until I win-and then, it will have never happened. Now excuse me, but I need to set a supervillain on Rossi or the prince as soon as possible-I have a character to keep."

* * *

As she waited for Vorpika with Chat Noir at the Eiffel Tower, Ladybug thought at what she had seen of Lila at the hotel-and the effect of her words. It had been a gamble, based on how close she was acting to certain things she had wanted to do before Tikki… And it had worked. That gave her a different perspective on the Italian traveler-one she'd rather not have, if it wasn't for the bullet everyone, and especially Lila, had just dodged. If nothing else, Chat had accepted to just follow her lead on that-she hadn't managed to tell about that even to Tikki, and Chat, sadly, was out.

"Hi, guys." Vorpika said as she arrived, before coming _extremely_ close to Ladybug. "The thing at the hotel, how, and why?"

"Well, we gave Chloe our numbers due the many Akumatizations she causes so at least she can get us to intervene, and she hadn't abused it." Chat interjected, trying to distract the fox. "Not yet, at least. We gave them to the mayor, Jean David the butler, the Agreste's Gorilla, Marinette…"

"Makes sense… But it wasn't about that. Ladybug, how did you know what to say to calm me down, and why?"

"I'd rather not talk about how I knew-and frankly, you wouldn't believe it." Ladybug replied. "As for why… Why not?"

"Because you could have easily turned me into your pawn, eliminated a future enemy and gained the best attack fox in Paris, that's why!"

"Maybe I don't want that. I want you as a _friend_ , not a pawn."

Vorpika stepped back, thoughtful and curious, muttering something about owing Ladybug her "holyland" (and using the English word). Then, after a few seconds, she asked: "Where did you guys learn how to fight without weapons?"

"I did some karate(7)-" Chat started.

"What style? Goju Ryu, Shotokan, Kyokushin? Was it _sundome_ , or-"

"I was five and mom and father pulled me out after a month. Never knew why."

"Oh. And you, Ladybug?"

"Well, I try and imitate my cousin, she's a Savate practitioner and often shows off her moves to try and get me to join." Ladybug said.

"So, one may or may have learned something years ago and never practiced again, and the other tries to imitate advanced moves without knowing the basics. Explains why you're so bad. Fists in front of the face, now."

After that, Vorpika taught them the jab-cross combo, or one-two. The very basic of boxing, she had said while she moved Ladybug's left arm through the jab motions. Ladybug knew it was her way to not feel indebted for pulling her out of her anger at the hotel, not an actual sign of friendship, but was willing to wait. Maybe it would never happen, but at least she'd make sure to save her from herself and that she didn't need saving-that was what she promised to herself.

 _Notes_

(1)The longer version is as follows: in 1962 _Diabolik_ was first published, and its success spawned the "Nero Italiano" (Italian Noir) genre, comic books characterized by being a rather violent take on the crime genre and featuring protagonists whose name includes the letter "k" (not used in Italian words) or, sometimes, the suffix "-ik"; among the public outrage (including even judicial seizures and trials) also appeared parodies such as _Cattivik_ (created by Bonvi, of _Sturmtruppen_ 's fame, and then gifted to fellow author Silver) and _Dorellik_ , and Disney Italy, when creating an antihero alter ego for Donald Duck, named it Paperinik (also known as "Duck Avenger" in the English-speaking world), adding the suffix "-ik" to Donald's Italian name "Paperino", and this being still Disney they also gave one to Daisy (in Italy, "Paperina". Disney is usually more clever than this…) and called it "Paperinika"; while the genre all but disappeared under moral outrage and the low quality of most of _Diabolik_ 's successors, it and especially _Diabolik_ (who is still published) had already left a standing impact on Italian comics and media, that included the association of the suffix "-ik" with antiheroes and villains and "-ika" with female antiheroes.

(2)That is how Guitar Villain is named in the Italian dub of _Miraculous Ladybug_.

(3)An actual Italian comic book created to ride on _Diabolik_ 's success, whose protagonist renamed herself Satanik upon getting the power to act on her revenge plans.

(4)Blame Astruc, _he_ said that when he was asked about Lila's ethnicity. Then again, that and crazier could be applied to all Italians…

(5)The Princess Fragrance incident saw an Akuma villain attack foreign royalty and diplomatic personnel (what the prince's chaperon would count as), both covered by diplomatic immunity, and he made a full threesome of attacks on people covered by diplomatic immunity the moment he Akumatized Lila, the daughter of an Italian diplomat. Simply put, after those stunts the _minimum_ Gabriel can get is life in jail with eligibility for parole at 18 years.

(6)The _Bagne du Cayenne_ (Penal Colony of Cayenne), also known as Devil's Island, was a French prison famous for being used for internal exile of political prisoners and the harsh treatment of the inmates (up to 75% death rate). Closed in 1953, the prison is the subject of numerous books and movies, including Henri Charriére's best-seller _Papillon_.

(7)Chat said that in "Simon Says". Given his performance and Gabriel being Gabriel, either his dojo wasn't focused on combat (more common than one would expect) or he didn't stay there long.


	4. Leprotta

The aftermath of prince Ali outing Papillon as a pedophile, and the start of other troubles. Plus some worldbuilding-the one thing I truly excel at as a writer-though a bit hidden. And… Well, I can't say I didn't have fun with the Akuma.

 _ **Chapter 04: Leprotta**_

As he woke up for the day, Gabriel acted as if he was to work on his design or the company as usual, or rather as expected. In truth, he had a different job to do: keep up his Papillon persona. While he was dimly aware that assaulting Paris to steal magical jewelry from what happened to be two teenagers (one of which he had even suspected was his own son) to use their magic to save his wife at the price of someone else' life was _not_ a sane thing to do, he purposefully kept his supervillain character highly psychotic and petty, someone who'd attack anyone for slights and insults-a persona he had to keep more often than he liked due the Parisians not having changed much since they developed a martial art just to pick fights with street gangs the police couldn't control(1).

And so now he had to make it seem he had just found out Lila Rossi and her princely friend had outed him as a pedophile, and take his "revenge" by sending Akumas after them. Them and Rossi's classmate Marguerite Lanivien (or something like that) for good measure. He wondered how long it would take for them to "scare him off"…

* * *

"Remember, if there's trouble call us." Lila's father said. "We'll come to help-and I'd like a go at that worm." he continued, punching his right fist in the open left. "Assuming Hartmann doesn't arrive first-she's fast, and I've a few things to do today…"

"No problem." Lila replied. "Where's mother? She was supposed to have a day off."

"She left after a phone call. She said it was big, and you know how that goes…"

"Yes. I do."

With that Lila left for school, wondering what would ever get that woman to help emotionally-and what would Papillon send after them.

* * *

"OK, this is getting ridiculous." Vorpika said as she sat before a knocked out Rose Bride.

"And you've been around for what, a week?" Chat replied before noticing what the newest hero had said. "I take this isn't the first time, then."

"Third in four days."

"Too bad it wasn't in consecutive days, Papillon wouldn't Akumatize her for at least two weeks after that-his humor is weird like that. Oh, here she is. Hey, Buginet-" Ladybug nearly kicked the downed Akuma villain, and had to make a visible effort not to strike her. "What happened? Aside poor sleep because of what Papillon would do and Rose Bride."

"I've got a friend in Beijing right now, and she's not answering the phone." Ladybug replied as she purified Rose Bride and (reluctantly) called for a Lucky Charm to heal her from the head damage caused by her partners.

"Wait, what happened in Beijing?" Vorpika asked.

"You didn't hear?"

"Well, I nearly overslept, and…"

Vorpika pulled her flute and its computer function, and saw the news: a gigantic terrorist attack in Beijing, targeting the Forbidden City and the area around its Gate of Divine Might-that is, the place where her friend had been shooting and residing during the job. And in spite of the massive damage there were only four victims, two being the attackers and the other two unknown. No other details were available yet, only a rumor that one of the unidentified victims was Japanese.

" _Ommerda…_ Gotta go, bye!"

As soon as she was hidden she used her _dizi_ to try and call the Tiger multiple times (and barely remembering to make it appear it had come from her phone), to no avail, before surrendering and going to class. And somehow arriving later than Marinette, who was apparently nearly always late.

* * *

Lila hadn't paid much attention to the classes, partly wondering when Papillon's next attack would come and partly worried for her friend. At the lunch break, at least, she saw her friend had just updated her social accounts, explaining the People's Armed Police(2) had confiscated her phone and was interrogating her as the one witness, and had just given her back the phone. One less worry… And a classmate to keep safe.

"Rose, you need to come with me to the Italian embassy, at least for today." she stated.

"Uh… Why?"

"Because Lustro was the one who outed the Terror Bowtie, _Papillon_ " she had to specify as apparently Rose hadn't heard the nickname yet "as a pedophile… And we would be targets for collateral revenge." That and the terrorist was likely offended he didn't get to groom her into a villain, but Lila decided her classmate didn't need to know that. "It won't keep you safe from Akuma attacks, but it'll gain you time-sending an Akuma too close to an embassy and the various ministries would be suicidally stupid, and that terrorist sadly is not an idiot."

"But-"

"ROSE LAVILLANT! I AM THE FLORIST! SHOW YOURSELF AND PAY FOR MISUSING A FLOWER'S NAME!"

"Do you see the necessity now?" Lila asked before dragging the target away and hiding her in the nearest bathroom.

* * *

"Didn't think an Akuma villain so scary-looking would have been so weak." Chat quipped after the Florist had been taken care of. "At least we've filled our weekly quota of ridiculous villains."

"LILA ROSSI! I AM INARISAMA! SHAVE YOUR HEAD AND REPENT FOR DEFILING FOXES WITH YOUR HAIRSTYLE! OH, AND YOU TOO, VORPIKA!"

Ladybug and Vorpika both shot dirty looks at Chat Noir.

* * *

"LIE-LA! HOW YOU DARE SAYING I'M FAT! I, STUNNER(3), WILL MAKE YOU PAY!"

"Honestly, if I wanted to insult someone I'd say something better." Lila quipped as she hid to transform and deal with the fourth Akuma of the day.

* * *

"MWA-HA-HA! GIVE ME YOUR MIND CONTROL PERFUME, LAVILLANT! ONLY I, THE JEANNIE, DESERVE TO MARRY PRINCE ALI!"

Rose took down that Akuma villain herself-turned out her perfume (that under Akumatization had indeed brainwashing abilities) was highly explosive in the right conditions, and the girl had taken offense at the villain's demand. And while her reaction made her the first person who could claim to have knocked out an Akumatized villain, Rose got banned from bringing _any_ perfume at school. Lila convinced her it had been inevitable just in time to keep her from being Akumatized… And redirecting the Akuma on someone else.

* * *

"I'll get the power to enforce safety rules in exchange for two jewels that could interfere with safety in the lab? It's a win-win!" miss Mendeleiev said as she was about to be Akumatized-right before Ladybug broke her Akumatized labcoat.

"Sorry, but Papillon is having a pettiness fit-I'll restore it later, OK?" Ladybug said before leaving without letting the science teacher reply.

* * *

"HA! YOU'LL STOP INTERRUPTING MY LESSONS, PAPILLON! JUST WAIT WHEN I'LL FIN-"

Papillon retired his Akuma from the Educator, reverting her to miss Bustier(4).

* * *

"Let me get this straight-it's the second time you get _this_ because people can't spell headcanon right?" Vorpika asked her colleagues, _this_ being an Akuma villain with a cannon-as in a Napoleonic artillery piece-for a head, cannon that turned people's heads into cannons with writings such as "Ladybug and Chat Noir are dating", "Majesta designed her own costume but can't sew" and "Tokyo V is a nerdy male gamer in a drag" embossed on them(5).

Ladybug just nodded and destroyed the akumatized notebook. "I get Rose Bride, but why did Papillon bring this one back?"

* * *

"If only that other writer hadn't calmed down…" Papillon said to himself. "Well, I'll do Reverser another time. Now, who's next? Oh, this guy will do."

* * *

"LILA, MY BELOVED! IT IS I, THE HEALER! FEAR NOT, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO LOVE ME ONCE I'VE CURED YOU OF THE PERVERSE LUST FOR THAT TWINTAILED GIR-"

Papillon retired his Akuma, leaving a newly discovered homophobe at the mercy of the class.

* * *

"Nooroo, we're both getting showers, and you'll clean the Miraculous before we go in again." Gabriel ordered his Kwami. "How did I miss he was one of _th_ _em_?!"

"After you're done I suggest a repeat of the fun Akuma." Natalie said before putting down the Kwami food she had brought.

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S THE TWELFTH TIME?!" Vorpika shouted in understandable indignation.

"Well, I _really_ like pigeons, but the city won't let me take care of them and that makes me vulnerable to Akumatizations." Xavier Ramier replied. "And as horrible as it sounds, Papillon has a point-if I cannot, who'll take care of the pigeons?"

Vorpika seemed to have ideas, but bit her tongue rather than saying it out loud.

"The city, of course-yesterday Daddy managed to pass an ordnance to hire falconers to deal with the pigeon problem."

Chloe, however, had no such compulsions, as her shout from the class' window pointed out. Thankfully, Ladybug intercepted the Akuma and Vorpika managed to explain Ramier that if pigeons could eat batteries and survive then they didn't need much help.

* * *

"LILA! MY FOX! IT'S ME, DAE WOONG, AN-"

Vorpika landed on the newest Akuma villain.

"Surprised it took him so much to homage _My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox_ (6)…" she commented as an increasingly irritated Ladybug arrived to purify this one too.

* * *

"I AM HOTCOCK007(7)! THE _STAR TREK_ FAN CLUB WILL PAY FOR EXPELLING ME WHEN I ASKED WHERE THE LIGHTSABERS WERE!"

Ladybug used him to demonstrate she had a decent grasp of the one-two Vorpika had taught her.

* * *

"OUT! OUT OF MY HEAD! YOU AREN'T GETTING ME, OUT!"

The Akuma fled out of Marinette's earring, leaving her classmates in stunned awe.

"Marinette… _Sposame_." Lila said, the first to recover. Then she realized she had just proposed to Marinette and that word in Romanesco was close enough to standard Italian that she had likely understood it, and hit the desk with her forehead.

* * *

Papillon blinked, still surprised at what had just happened. A girl had just rejected an Akuma. He was already vaguely familiar with Adrien having a classmate that was defiantly optimistic, but that she would be able to reject an Akuma…

"Nathalie! I need to know everything available about Adrien's classmate, the one defiantly optimistic!" he shouted.

Half an hour later, Gabriel, who had detransformed for a while, realized two things: first, he needed to get her with Adrien, just by personality and willpower she was worthy of her son _and_ could manage to get him off that annoying crush on Ladybug of his; second, the lessons were ending and he needed to get back at the Akumatizations _now_. Then he smiled-the school had just been reached by _exactly_ the individual he needed.

* * *

"Can't believe some in the other classes blame you for Papillon…" Rose said to Lila as they walked the corridors.

"Got enough experience with people to know it's better ignore them." Lila replied. "You, on the other hand, have just as much experience with the butterfly, you know he won't end anytime soon unless he gets scared off or something else provokes him." Lila said to Rose as they were leaving the classroom. "And at the embassy you'll be relatively safe until I get the ball rolling on those fashion disasters that are his Akuma outfits."

"I doubt he'll fall for it again." Rose replied. "He hasn't been reacting to _Le Parisien_ 's Akuma Fashion Tips column for over a month now(8)."

Lila stopped in her tracks, wondering what was wrong with the Parisians. Sure, Romans like her weren't exactly saints or too sane, but continuing to piss off a supervillain was a bit too much…

"Typical." an adult feminine voice said.

Lila turned to the unexpected but familiar voice, and saw the one she expected: a tall and well-built woman with tanned skin and long platinum-blonde hair wearing a classic and stylish suit, her attitude and face expression giving an impression of calm professionalism… That was ruined by her hair being worn in long rabbit-like twin tails and her right hand holding an old Winchester Model 1897 shotgun (complete with M1917 bayonet).

"Good day, colonel Hartmann, I didn't expect you here." Lila said to the woman.

"Your father couldn't come and I had the time, so here I am." the newly identified colonel Hartmann said. "Also, didn't I tell you to call me-"

Hartmann was interrupted by the shouts of some students pointing at the sky, and, looking up, saw an Akuma that alternatively tried to get her and go away, a never before seen behavior from Papillon's tools. Then, much to everyone's shock, the woman caught the Akuma with her shotgun's bayonet, that immediately turned black as the gun itself.

" _Bella lì, cravattone._ " the colonel greeted him in Italian, completely unfazed by the situation. " _Sono la colonnella T_ -Akuma problem solved."

That had been said after the Akuma flew out of the shotgun, the white indicating Papillon himself had purified it-much to the shock of everyone there except Lila and the colonel.

"As I was saying, you should call me Leprotta when I'm off duty." colonel Hartmann said to the girl. "Now excuse me, but with the terrorist scared off I'd like to go back at the embassy and shoot a few shells."

"No problem, col- _Leprotta_ , Leprotta, I need to remember that." Lila replied. "Thanks for your help."

The colonel got in a car and left before anyone could recover enough to ask what had just happened. Then Alya did that.

"Lila, WHAT?!" she asked the Italian girl.

"Her nickname means "little hare", she said she got it during cross-training with the _Tuscania_ parachute regiment of the _Carabinieri_." Lila explained with a smile.

"THAT WOMAN TRIED TO GET HERSELF AKUMATIZED AND PAPILLON REFUSED!"

"Oh, _that_ … You see, I'm not sure who noticed first and how did the news was diffused, but Papillon, not being suicidally stupid, won't Akumatize people with certain mind troubles, such as legitimate psychos, serial killers, and soldiers with PTSD even if they're pretty much Akuma magnets-so every ministry and every embassy in Paris has some personnel that qualifies, such as the colonel, to keep Papillon from sending Akumas there. Won't keep already Akumatized villains from attacking, but it's something. Oh, Rose… It's not necessary for you to come at the embassy anymore, but feel free to visit anytime. Everyone, bye."

With those words Lila left, leaving behind a very surprised student body.

"I suggest everyone goes home to get some rest like I'm about to do." Marinette said, trying to keep her calm after the stressful afternoon. Then, suddenly, she chuckled: "And imagine how Papillon is taking the scare for a good laugh."

* * *

"Took them long enough, don't you think Nooroo?" Gabriel said to his Kwami as he was going back to his studio.

"As you say, master." Nooroo replied neutrally, knowing his actual opinion wasn't requested. "What will you do with them now?"

"Nothing different than what I do with everyone else-Papillon has been "scared off", after all. Now you can go to your alcove, today's events inspired me for a contest."

* * *

" _You should_ really _enroll at the Omega, especially after today."_ the Tiger suggested Lila on the phone.

"Mother won't let me, not after Selah." Lila replied, dejected, as she walked through the embassy. She _really_ missed that activity.

" _Even if I could prove it's the place that calmed me down? With pictures?"_

"Maybe she'll accept. I _really_ need proper venting… By the way, how are you?"

" _Worry not, I'm invincible!"_

Lila was about to reply when she got an SMS from her mother telling her to hurry up, and decided it was better move. That, and send a message to Sorano, the Tiger's own best friend-they both knew that nearly unstoppable girl too well to not see through her attempt to make it seem she was OK, and the other girl was where she could drag her to a doctor. Then, as she received the expected pictures from her friend, she reached the apartment her family was currently living at in the embassy's guesthouse, and got a news she had feared.

"We're moving out." her father explained. "I've found an apartment not too distant from your school… Or an interesting place, the Omega Apacheria."

"We've already talked about that." her mother said with a note of finality.

"About that place… The Tiger said it's the place that calmed her down-for a given value of calming her down, of course, but before that she was a terror." Lila said, showing the pictures from her phone-and then waiting for the answer.

"Very well-we'll let you _try_. But if there's a repeat of that incident, we'll pull you out." her mother said.

It was the best Lila could expect given the circumstances-and a good news, at least, a chance at relaxing. The more relaxed she was, the better was the chance to get Papillon… And free the group for other jobs, she supposed. The news coming out of Beijing were reminding her that the world _really_ needed a few miracles even out of Paris…

 _Notes_

(1)Not making this up: between 1871 and 1914, the streets of Paris were infested by gangs of hooligans that were just too numerous for the police to fight… So the Parisians, who already liked fighting enough that French folk wrestling was also known as _Lutte Parisienne_ , imported the original form of Savate (that had been already absorbing some techniques from French folk wrestling due the matches between Savateurs and wrestlers), added as much of wrestling as they could, a few things from English boxing, _swordfighting_ (with sticks), and a few tricks of dirty fighting, and started engaging the gangs themselves. And now you know why Nora had it so easy to rally the Parisians to rescue the heroes now that the jerk who had been terrorizing the city for about a year was finally in the open…

(2)China's gendarmerie (as opposed to the fully civilian Public Security Bureaus), with authority in terrorism cases.

(3)Homage to a minor Spiderman villain. Both in and out of universe.

(4(Blame quicksilversquared and her story "Sleepy Supervillainry" (written before season 2) for this. I _had_ to pay her homage… With permission, of course.

(5)Blame quicksilversquared for this one too-story is "Headcan(n)on".

(6)A Korean drama about a guy who, in the modern day, frees a nine-tailed fox from her century-long imprisonement only to have her impose herself as his girlfriend.

(7)A little homage to the novel _Ready Player One_. If you read it you'll see why I (and, in-story, Gabriel) named this Akuma villain after the character.

(8)Again with quicksilversquared-the story is "Fashion Disaster".


	5. Slice of Life

Some school life. Just simple school life. And if you believe that the Akuma class can have "just simple school life", let me tell you the French government is planning to sell the Eiffel Tower for scraps and I'm their agent. Oh, and there's totally no reference on just why Lila recognized that Fox Miraculous Holder on the book. I swear! On the other hand, parts of this and some of the next chapters are based on quicksilversquared's "A Different Kind of Inspiration".  
P.S.: Let me thank the Lila Protection Squad Discord for some help-turns out the cultural differences between the various parts of Italy are greater than I thought.

 _ **Chapter 05: Slice of Life**_

It was a calm Saturday, and Lila, not having bonded much with her classmates yet, had thought to take the chance to try that place suggested by her friend-and it had indeed satisfied her mother, for the time being. Still, Maria, not having a friend proud of certain traditions, was puzzled by the name, and asked about it.

"This place, this gym, started out as a Savate club-and our art may have been born in the south but was later forged in the street fights of Paris during the _Belle Epoque_ , fights that involved gangs called Apache(1)." the _professeur_ , Remy Eclair, explained. "Some of my colleagues don't like bringing it up, but I feel we should remember the errors of the past so we won't repeat them. That being part of why we slowly expanded to offer a few other styles and our students are trained to compete in MMA tournaments: the other instructors and I aspire to teach young men and women how to avoid our mistakes."

"I see." Maria replied. "But why the Omega?"

"I like the letter, why?"

Both of Lila's parents pinched their noses at the reveal. Lila, on the other hand, was savoring the situation: she needed proper venting, and perfecting her boxing skills(2) and learning something new at this Omega Apacheria was just the thing.

"Hey! Aren't you my cousin's new classmate?"

Lila turned, and saw Bridgette Dupain in a full Savate outfit-and someone expected to enter and possibly win the World Games(3) in Muay Thai. She didn't want her interest in MMA to become public, and not just because of the (small) chance it'd get her exposed at Vorpika, but keeping Bridgette from getting it out will be worth the chance of training with Anansi.

* * *

"And now you know." Marinette said to her Kwami, who had just heard why Marinette had known how to calm Lila-and a few other things. "I-I'll understand if you'll want a better Ladybug, I mean-"

Marinette was interrupted by Tikki hugging her head, calming her down.

"What you told me is why you're an amazing Ladybug." the Kwami replied.

"But-"

"My past holder Jehanne and her family had to face hostility for their loyalty to the Crown, she even had her house burned, and yet she was always calm and sweet, and proud of having never killed once-just like you, in your way. Just try and not be too generous like her…"

"I suppos-wait, Jehanne, too generous… YOU MEAN JEANNE D'ARC?!"

"No, Jeanne Romée, from Domremy…"

It would take a while, and Marinette's parents asking why she had shouted about France's national hero, before Tikki realized that her most self-sacrificial user was known with a different name now(4). And so much pressure on Marinette.

* * *

"Auroch, do you have a moment?" Remy Eclair asked to the gym's boxing instructor. As "quirky" (to say the least) and greedy as he was, the American boxer he had nicknamed after the ancestor of cows was a great asset to the gym, having helped his students perfecting their use of fists and quickly dealing with any problem or information need-just like what he needed to ask him right now. "I need you to find out a few things about our newest student."

"Let me see." the boxer said as he took Lila's file. "Dammit, name too long to be unmockable and too short to be mocked properly, a bit unlucky for being Ladybug's friend. So, what do ya need to know?"

"Her mother was quite insistent about us teaching restraint."

"Say no more. And no, being a diplomat's daughter won't stop me."

* * *

"So what?" Vorpika said to Ladybug that night when they and Chat Noir met for patrol and the spotted heroine explained what she had found out from her Kwami.

"But-it's Jeanne d'Arc! _La Pucelle_!" Chat Noir protested.

"Nǚwáng Húlí. Or if you prefer, Donna Volpe. She saved ALL OF ITALY in one fell swoop, and shortened World War II-because I doubt the Germans would have collapsed in 1944 if those seventeen divisions had been available. And do you see me complain about the pressure? No!"

"You and I have a much different sense of worth." Ladybug said. "How am I supposed to be worth of her?!"

"As my grandmother used to say, you aren't, just do your best and surpass her. And if you fail… Well, you still did better than you would have done otherwise. You're my _pard_ , and I won't let you make me look bad."

Ladybug blinked for a moment, and just hugged her ally, much to Vorpika and Chat Noir's confusion. It would take a while before she realized what she had called Ladybug.

* * *

"You can ask, if you want." Ladybug said to her partner after the patrol ended and Vorpika had left.

"Why did you hug her?" Chat asked, as expected.

"She called me a _pard_ -and in Italy they use that word only for the true friends, at least if you read the right comics(5)."

Chat looked at his partner as if she had suddenly grown another head, so ridiculous the idea was, before reminding her of one thing: "My Lady, she's planning to beat you to a pulp as soon as we've dealt with Papillon."

"Come on, if Chloe can be nice to some people then Lila can become friendlier." Ladybug replied. "I know she can."

* * *

"Welcome! Glad to see you here!"

Lila blinked at the strangeness of the situation. She had already realized that Chloe Bourgeois wasn't the friendliest person, and yet that Monday she had arrived at school early and was greeting all her classmates-with the most strained smile she had ever seen when it came to Marinette. And now she had been greeting her with a sickeningly sweet tone in her voice-the kind that made her itch to punch the talker in the face.

"Come, I'll bring you to the infirmary." she said instead, half sarcastically and half actually worried the blonde had some mind-altering condition.

"Miss Bustier insists we all take turns in greeting our classmates, now move your ass and get in." Chloe replied with a less abnormal tone.

That explained it-and she didn't like it. She could be wrong, but in Lila's book such a trick hinted at the teacher being desperate about some bullying-and not having any idea this kind of things didn't work. It was worth investigating it-maybe she had been underestimating Marinette. Who knew, maybe she'd become a friend, or a _pard_ , and-

" _PORCA MATRIGNA_ _!"_

And she finally realized what she had called Ladybug. But why?! She couldn't be growing fond of her! Not after what she had done! Or could she? She needed to take out Papillon soon, or she may forget she's supposed to squash the bug!

* * *

"What was that?" Alya asked Marinette.

"I think it was the Roman equivalent of _parbleu_." was the answer of the one who understood Italian. It had to be that, otherwise she couldn't explain why Lila had insulted the stepmother she didn't have. "No idea why, though." and that was actually a lie-by Lila's deer-on-headlights look, Marinette strongly suspected she had just realized she had referred to Ladybug as a _pard_. Something to give her back her good mood, after what she had just discovered the previous day.

"A bit strong for that… And I don't think she has a creative block too."

"Alya!"

"You think there's a spot for her too?"

"Wait, you mean today? It was supposed to be just between us…"

"And you said you think she needs a good friend-and maybe she can help you with that block."

"You're right, but-"

"Hey, Lila! Are you busy today?"

Alya being Alya, less than a minute later Lila had promised to go with her at Marinette's house. And having started to understand the Italian girl, the future host just hoped it wouldn't go too bad…

* * *

"Marinette, dear, is this to get around the pet ban?" Tomas Dupain asked his daughter after taking a single look at Lila-much to said daughter's embarrassment. And fear. Why, of all the embarrassing things he knew about her, he had to share _that_?

"What do you mean?" Lila asked, suspicious about the situation.

"Oh, nothing much-Marinette wanted a pet fox as a child, but we couldn't let her due the bakery." Sabine Cheng added.

And while Alya-the traitor-snickered at the news, Lila slowly turned to Marinette, surprise having replaced suspicion on her face-and then she apparently realized something, by the look she shot her before lowering her head.

"I can't believe you…" she whispered, anger in her words. "All of this… I trusted you… And you only wanted my body! You pervert!"

Neither Alya nor Marinette said anything, the former was too busy laughing openly at what was happening and the latter was looking at the hammy fox with the same face she had when she had found out Kim was crushing on Chloe. And she wasn't finished.

"Still… I love you so much!" Lila said, moving in the most melodramatic way she could and offering her hair to Marinette. "Here! My foxlike hair! It's yours!"

Marinette just used it to drag Lila to her room, making sure Lila was following so she risk harming her or ruin that hair (if Juleka and their old classmate Mina were any hint, people with hair _that_ long tended to be quite proud of it), quickly followed by Alya as soon as she realized they had left while she had been laughing.

* * *

"You're just too easy to tease." Lila said after they had reached Marinette's room and got her hair back. Then she realized another thing. "And as unbelievable as it sounds, you aren't the first one with the same reason to be attracted to my foxy charm. And no-" she continued as Alya looked about to ask who she was talking about "I'm not telling who. It's her secret, and it came out in a rather embarrassing situation."

While she didn't show it, Marinette was relieved by Lila's willingness to keep Ladybug's secrets. Then, of course, she asked something she had hoped she wouldn't ask: "Now, why did you girls wanted me here, exactly?"

"We're friends, right?" and of course Alya did exactly the wrong thing: deny any ulterior motives.

"Leaving aside we're not _that_ close yet, I'm the daughter of a diplomat, I've experienced far too many liars much better than you will ever be."

"She thought you could help with my creative block." Marinette admitted before Alya could make things worse.

"Yeah, my girl just got caught a case of thinking she can't do it, comparing herself to the big names like Gabriel Agreste, or Valentino." Alya continued, repeating what Marinette had improvised to hide she felt not up to task of being _Jeanne d'Arc_ 's successor.

Lila just looked at them with a strange smile, then she asked Marinette: "Can I use your PC for a moment? I need to show you a few things."

"Sure."

Lila went and connected to the Ladyblog's wiki, and showed some of the data Alya and others had found on past Holders of the Ladybug Miraculous: "Here she is: La Mariquita, had a decisive role in the Mexican War of Independence, some even attribute to her the utter failure to even leave port of Barradas' expedition and their recognition of Mexican independence in the same year(6). Now, this stained glass window in Notre Dame shows Jeanne d'Arc, _that_ Jeanne d'Arc, facing Jacques "Darkblade" d'Argencourt in her 1429 attack on the city-that may have well be aimed specifically to destroy his supposedly demonic sword(7). Oh, and this one I actually saw a couple times when I lived in Tokyo, Ladybug's immediate predecessor Benten-chan(8), who gave her life to annihilate a terrorist organization, finishing the job started by her predecessor Bo Rùa. Who, if I read among certain lines right, also played a part in France doing the smart thing with the Việt Minh in 1946(9). Ladybug knows of these ladies, and sometimes she feels overwhelmed… But still soldiers on, doing her best to be as good as them if not _better_. And considering that, from what I've seen, the only reason _you_ aren't Ladybug was that whoever held on the Ladybug Miraculous after Benten-chan's death met Ladybug before you… Agreste, Valentino, and Coco Chanel together won't cause you problems for much longer."

Marinette was of two minds. On one hand, she appreciated Lila's attempt at helping her, even with the lie-she hadn't known of La Mariquita and Bo Rùa until Lila had mentioned them, and had only suspected that one of Tokyo's past superheroes had been her predecessor. On the other hand… How was she supposed to compare to _them_?!

"Come on, I know Coco Chanel was revolutionary, but you are a genius too." Lila commented, guessing the wrong reason for Marinette's barely repressed panic. Then she finally gave a less disastrous suggestion: "Have you tried to look around the city for inspiration?"

Marinette just pointed at the bulletin board near her desk and the dozens of sketches of people and monuments on them.

"Then, what about the Station of Lyon(10)? To paraphrase a certain saying, the best part of Paris is the train from and to Rome(11), to better appreciate the best places in the world, and just a glimpse may help."

It took a moment for Marinette and Alya to realize Lila was actually serious about that.

"I should actually _go there_ to feel inspired by Rome…" Marinette replied.

"At this point I could suggest a brief break, but if you intend to go pro you can't have that, or the fabric store."

"You're a genius!" Alya added. "Mari, she's right, maybe the fabric will talk to you."

"I think you've been watching too much Project Runway, Alya." Marinette replied after snorting and rolling her eyes.

"Well, _have_ you?"

"No, I haven't."

"Then, field trip!"

And so, the aspiring journalist dragged the other two girls to Marinette's favorite fabric store.

* * *

As she visited the fabric store with her tentative friends, Lila thought at the strange situation, also wondering at just why they hadn't asked her help. She could understand in the diplomatic world, what with the absurd mix of lies and truths international relationship were based on, but among common people she felt it was stupid.

Still, in a way they were bonding, even if she felt Marinette too had some hidden reason for it-the girl struck her as somewhat paranoid, and allowing a recent acquaintance in her room was just too strange.

Not that she wasn't manipulating her herself-she hadn't suggested the fabric store just because her composer uncle used to go at the music instrument shop for inspiration, but also because she had seen a certain announcement on the web, and she was waiting for the store to put it on their announcement board. And if her intuition was right, it was just the challenge the pigtailed genius needed. And maybe even unnecessary, by what she was hearing.

"It does, from what I can tell, but I get squicked out by the whole 'it's actually skin' thing, I think." Marinette was saying to Alya, answering a question if leather draped well. "If I could get past that, I could probably come up with some ideas for jackets and whatnot. Jagged Stone has some _amazing_ leather jackets that I'd love to kind of replicate, but… Skin. It gives me creative block."

"Then I know just what you need." Lila said, knowing it would also work with her original plan. Then she spotted an employee stapling the awaited announcement at the bulletin board, and as she pointed to it she added: "In fact, it's actually _two_ things you need-and one has just come out there."

"Wait, what-Mr. Agreste is holding a design contest! Oh, no, this is the worst possible timing! I don't have _any_ ideas!"

"Read it in full."

"'Outfits must be designed using nontypical fabrics. No cotton or wool knits/weaves, silk, et cetera. Fastenings such as buttons and zippers are allowed. Contact Bessie Leroy with questions.'" she read off the flier, before adding she was a lower designer at _Gabriel_. Then she looked at Lila and asked: "Did you knew?"

"Checked their page this morning to have something to speak with you and Adrien, and discovered an early announcement. At a guess, he wants to know what kinds of materials are out there and the best way of doing that is a contest, or maybe he's tired of contest dominated by silk dresses. This little trick should push designers out of their comfort zone."

"Yes, but this will make it _harder_ to be inspire-what's that smile? It's-"

"Predatory? Scary? I probably showed it off to Ladybug when I was Volpina-because it comes out only when a plan comes together and I came quite close to win. But I digress… Now, tell me: did you know there's a material almost identical to leather but made out of _cork_?"

Five minutes later it was Marinette to drag the other two back to her home, already having the basis for a design. The fact that, as long as one followed the very simple and clearly outlined procedures, Agreste would pay for the materials in order to let potential talents with little money enter his contests and (hopefully) his company, something Marinette believed had been his missing wife's idea and he continued because it worked and Lila believed was simply the result of him being a good and astute businessman, meant the budding designer wouldn't have troubles with her design. The only thing that hadn't been going well in Lila's opinion was the red-and-black combo that would homage Ladybug, but in Paris that was the same as wearing orange in honor of Donna Volpe and the actual Volpina back in Rome, and she could take it. Then Marinette surprised her. Surprised her, and triggered her mistrust.

* * *

"I said I want to fit this to you, so you can have it once I'm done with the contest." Marinette repeated. She was a bit surprised herself by what she had decided, but she just wanted to do it.

"Why?" Lila asked, suddenly cold. "This is the kind of things one does for their friends, and unless I've missed something we're still at the "friendly acquaintances" stage. Or you want to become friends really, _really_ fast?"

In hindsight, Marinette realized she should have seen this coming, considering what she had realized about Lila. But it wasn't a problem, all it took was to remember where she had hidden her pre-Ladybug diaries this time (she had thought the traps were enough, but after Chloe sent Sabrina to steal her then-current diary she had decided to increase the precautions) and show one to Lila.

"Here. Read a page, any page." Marinette said after picking it.

"Did I hear something that could have been a lock or a deactivated bear trap?"

"Sabrina stole her diary once." Alya explained.

"Oook…"

Lila took the diary and opened it, slowly reading one of the page-and then widening her eyes and reading it again, and three times, and then flickering through the pages. It would have been comical if she hadn't know what caused that reaction.

"But-oh- _Madonna santa,_ _ched'è ch'a puttana incora campa?!_ "

"I wonder that myself." Marinette replied as she took back the diary. "And please, don't correct the situation."

"But-"

"Don't. She's not worth the trouble. But… Do you understand now?"

Lila just nodded.

* * *

"Did you have to shout that loud?" Remy asked his fellow instructor as he, Nora "Anansi" Cesaire and Bridgette came to him.

"No, but it's funnier. And it's about your research." Auroch replied. "The girl's got boxing in the blood, her father, Andrea-he he-Rossi-"

"It's a perfectly manly name in Italy(12)." Bridgette pointed out.

"Whatever. Anyway, her father Andrea Rossi was a boxer, and was expected to get the Olympic gold and then gun for the Heavyweight championship but he injured his hand right before the selection, and by the time he healed he had to look for a steadier job, if you get what I mean."

"Uh-hu." Nora replied before noticing something on the screen. "Wait, the date of his retirement-"

"Congrats, you noticed one of the reasons for the parents' protectiveness. And you won't ever hint to anyone about it. Anyway, as I was saying the man taught his daughter how to fight, enough she won a few amateur matches and even got in a kickboxing one 'bout five weeks ago… An' now you'll see why the lady was so insistent on restraint."

Auroch opened a YouTube video, showing Lila in a kickboxing getup facing a blonde girl and giving her a rather unsettling glare, while the blonde smirked. Said smirk disappeared once Lila hit her with a one-two on the nose, followed by two other crosses as the nose started bleeding and continuing until the referee intervened.

"That was a bit harsher than I'd expect from two teens." Remy commented.

"You say that-last guy I've seen hitting with such determination was Buster Douglas in Tokyo, and I see no dead mom for the girl(13). They had a score, and Rossi settled it-and the still alive mom doesn't want a repeat. Something I can understand, wouldn't have got in so much trouble had my parents done the same."

"Well, I suppose we can help the girl too, can't we?" Remy said. "We'll have to count on you girls-Bridgette, you're about the same age, and you, Anansi… Well, the girl seems to look up to you."

"No problem, boss!" Nora answered while Bridgette struck her chest in the Savate salute.

* * *

"It's good, isn't it?" Andrea Rossi asked his daughter as they dined. "After Selah, your mother and I were starting to fear you wouldn't trust new people."

"I'm not letting that _fatah_ (14)win." Lila coldly replied, the contempt for the other girl evident in the use of Arabic in place of the usual Romanesco. "But where's mother?"

"At the embassy." Andrea replied with a sigh. "She called in earlier and said she's got an important translation to complete."

"I see."

After dinner, Lila went back to her room, thinking about the day's discoveries, when Trixx had to ask her about one thing:

"Isn't your mother too important for translation work?" the Kwami asked.

"Welcome to the diplomatic world, where you lie even to your family and they won't call you out." Lila replied with fake mirth. "I think she got involved with something from the intelligence… Or it may just be a secret negotiation, or who knows. Or cares. All I know is that she has disappeared again. And right as I'd need her advice. Again."

"It's about the Bourgeois girl, isn't it?"

"Who else? I mean, you've seen what she did. And don't you try and convince me you didn't read that diary…"

"You should support Marinette when she needs it. Dealing with the bullies should be the teachers' job, and doing it in their place could get you in trouble."

"So, just watch and do the bare minimum?"

"Unless she crosses the line. I mean, it's not like she's a danger to you, right?"

* * *

Chloe Bourgeois alternated looking Sabrina and the phone with the article her friend had just pointed her to.

"Well well well… Didn't think the new girl had something like that hiding in her past…" Chloe said once she was past the shock.

"It's not exactly hidden, I mean, there's articles, and-" Sabrina pointed out before getting cut off.

"It's a figure of speech. But this explains a lot. You said there's more?" as Sabrina nodded, Chloe just grinned, knowing that one recent problem was about to be solved.

 _Notes_

(1)"Apache" was the name given to a particularly ferocious (from which the name, comparing them to the perception people used to have of the actual Apache) criminal underworld subculture active in Paris in the early 20th century, subculture that survived the police' attempts at suppressing it because the gangs would stop fighting the moment they spotted the police and in total they outnumbered them about five to one. Due the powerlessness of the police, the Parisians fought it themselves until, in 1914, Joseph Gallieni, military governor of Paris, managed to convince them to join the army in defending Paris from the invading Germans… At which point the Apache found themselves in the middle of World War I, with obvious results.

(2)Lila actually shows some knowledge of boxing defensive techniques in the series, mainly her surprising nimbleness (boxing footwork) and the famous scene of the "killer napkin" (a reflexive parrying).

(3)A multi-sport event meant for sports not included in the Olympic Games, held every four year, one after the latest Summer Olympics, with the athletes being the best in their respective disciplines. Combat sports at the World Games include Ju Jitsu, Sumo, Muay Thai (as stated), and Karate, though the latter could be missing from the 2021 due being disputed in the Tokyo Olympics.

(4)According to the trials transcripts, Jeanne (whose name at the time was indeed spelled "Jehanne") herself stated that, at Domrémy, it was use to take the maternal surname, if one had a surname at all-hence Tikki referring to her with her mother's last name and not with her father's.

(5)Specifically, _Tex_ ( _Tex Willer_ for English-speaking audiences), where the word is used by the characters to refer to their friends, and, most significantly, the four main characters, some of the truest friends in comic books, do the same and are referred by fans as " _The_ Pards". The readers would recognize said word, and considering _Tex_ is Italy's most popular comic, even among adults…

(6)In real life, Barradas' "Spearhad Division" actually landed in 1829 and was promptly defeated, and Spain would not recognize Mexican independence until 1836. But as Astruc revealed a past Ladybug Miraculous Holder fought in said war…

(7)Darkblade's nickname was in English even in the original French, and we know Jeanne d'Arc, who attacked Paris in 1429, was a Ladybug Miraculous Holder, so…

(8)Complete OC.

(9)Simply based on the fact a past Ladybug Miraculous Holder is confirmed as Vietnamite.

(10)Contrary to the name, this is one of Paris' train stations, whose full name, Paris-Gare-de-Lyon (Paris Train Station of Lyon), comes from the fact most long distance trains departing from there pass from Lyon.

(11)Specifically, the _Roman_ saying is "There's one good thing about Milan: the train for Rome". Paris and Rome, however, have an exclusive twinship because, supposedly, "Only Paris is worth of Rome; only Rome is worth of Paris", so…

(12)Andrea, deriving from the Greek "Andros" like its English counterpart Andrew and the French one Andrè, means "manly". As far I'm concerned, it's more embarrassing for a girl to have that name.

(13)In 1990, James "Buster" Douglas was a "journeyman" Heavyweight boxer approaching his retirement when he was given a shot at facing then-undefeated Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson. Given their, well, everything, everyone knew this would be another half-round glorified sparring session for Tyson while his manager got around organizing the big match with Evander Holyfield, thus no US arena would host the fight, leading to it being fought at the Tokyo Dome, the only Las Vegas casino that accepted bets gave Douglas 42-1 odds, and Tyson didn't adequately prepare himself… Except Douglas' mother died 23 days before the fight, and for her he fought like he had never done, or would. After the ten most hellish rounds of his career, Tyson lost by knock-out.


End file.
